Adjustable clamp for printing-blocks.



No. 633,506. Patented Sept. l9, I899. s. E. DITTMAN.

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP FOR PRINTING BLOCKS.

(Application filed May 11. 1896.)

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No. 633,506. Patented Sept. I9, I899.- s E. DITTMAN.

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP FOR PRINTING BLOCKS.

(Applicahion filed May 11. 1896.)

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UNrrED STATES PATENT EEicE.

SAMUEL E. DlT'liliAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THEODORE REGENSTEINER, OF SAME PLACE.

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP FOR PRINTING-BLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,506, dated September 19, 189 9.

Application filed May 11, 1896. Serial No. 591,020. (No mo el- T0 (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. DITTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Clamps for Printing-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in clamps for adjustably securing printingplates in the chases of printing-presses; and it consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide adjustable clamps which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, and effective in operation, and which will permit of great pressure being applied without injury to any of the parts, and, secondly, such clamps in' connection with a bedblock and printing-plate of improved construction whereby the adjustment of the printing plate or plates may be accomplished with the greatest degree of accuracy and nicety in either direction and in a quick and easy manner, and also provide a combination of parts whereby closer margins can be had between the plates and all liability of abuse to the adjacent blocks or to the furniture avoided.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a chase, showing a numberof printing, stereotype, or electrotype plates secured therein by means of my adjustable clamps. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, on a larger scale than Figs. 2 and 3, showing a portion of a bed-plate, a printing-plate resting thereon, a piece of furniture, and a clampingblock applied between the block and furniture to adjustably secure the plate and support the projecting Fig. 3 is a similar view marginal portion thereof. Fig. 0 is a perspective view of one of the clamps detached. Fig. 6 is a side view of the screw of the clamp, showing the operating-disk in section. Fig. 7 is a face view illustrating a modification in the construction of the operating-disk. Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of other modifications thereof, showing the screw on which they are secured.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

A represents a chase which may be of the ordinary or any approved kind, in which the bedblocks B, resting on the bed C of the press, are placed and which support the printing-plates D in the usual manner. To avoid the necessity of keeping on hand an expensive assortment of solid blocks or adjustable blocks and facilitate the making up of a form, these blocks are preferably composed of sections consisting of strips or bars of various dimensions and which can be readily and conveniently assembled to suit the size of plate to be supported, and each block in practice is made of less dimensions than the plate to be supported thereby, so that said plate will have a marginal portion d projecting beyond all four sides of the block, and this marginal portion is beveled upon the upper surface of its outer edge or otherwise constructed to form an engaging lip d, as shown.

Locked in the chase and arranged to bear against all four sides of each bed-block contained therein are a series of independentlyadjustable clamps, each clamp comprising in its construction a rectangular block E of any suitable size and material, but of the same thickness as the bed-blocks B. This rectangular block is provided with a recess or mortise 6, opening through the top and outer end thereof and of such length, depth, and width as to occupy the central portion of the block and terminate some distance in rear of the bottom thereof, thereby causing the formation of parallel side walls a, a bottom wall or base-support c and an inner abutting head or bridge-piece a which connects the inner ends of said side walls, the upper surfaces of the bridge-piece and side walls being flush with each other and with the upper surface of the bed-block, as shown. Fitting snugly in the recess is a rectangular adjusting block or traveler E, which is guided in a true path and held from lateral movement by the side walls e and also rests upon the base-support c and has an upper supporting face or portion f, adapted to receive and sustain the outermost part of the marginal portion of the printing-plate and provided at its outer or rear end with a clamping-hook f, slightly beveled on its inner face to engage the beveled lip d of the plate to hold the latter down upon its bed-block.

Passing centrally through the block E, traveler-clamp E, and bridge-piece e and longitudinally of the recess is an adjustingscrew g, provided with a nicked tapered head g at its inner end, which has a bearing g in the inner side of the block or outer face of said bridge-piece and lies flush therewith, and the outer end 9 of this screw is made rectangular to receive an operating-disk G, having a corresponding central opening into which the said rectangular end of the screw is fitted and held by frictional engagement tight enough to effectually prevent casual disengagement of the disk and yet loose enough to admit of the disk being readily slipped off when desired. When the disk is detached, the screw may be removed by means of a screwdriver applied to the nicked tapered head thereof and the parts quickly disassembled. This feature is of great importance, as the threads of the screw and traveler become clogged with ink and varnish and must be frequently cleaned, and in the ordinary construction of clamp this operation is performed at the expense of much time and labor. The outer face of the disk is formed with a series of radial grooves or slots h, which have their outer ends opening through the periphery of the disk and their inner ends in communication with each other across the central portion of the disk occupied by the rectangular opening which receives the rectangular end of the screw, which latter terminates flush with the outer face of the disk. These slots are for the purpose of receiving a lever pin or rod, whereby the disk and screw may be turned to operate the traveler, and the object of constructing the slots in the manner described is to permit of the pin or rod passing the open central portion of the disk and engaging the double set of lugs or the side walls of each coinciding pair of slots forming said lugs, and thus prevent upsetting of the. corners of the walls of the slots or lugs under the action of the pin or rod when the traveler is tightened up. This disk is countersunk or fitted in a recess in the front or outer end of the block E, with its outer slotted face extending flush with the said outer face of the block and its innerface bearing against the outer faces of the parallel side walls 6 and bottom wall 6 by which it is retained rigidly in position. The edge of the disk is also exposed at the top of the block, so that the lever pin or rod may be readily inserted in the slots from above when it is desired to turn the disk and move the traveler in or out for engaging, releasing, or adjusting the printing-plate, and to facilitate this operation the upper rear edges :of the maybe milled, as shown at j in Fig. 8, so that it may be turned by means of the thumb or finger of the operator, or I may secure on the outer end of the screw 9 a disk G of the form shown in Fig. 7, having peripheral teeth for en a ement with a toothed or ratchet .7 e a:

lever (not shown) of the ordinary or any preferred construction, which may be fulcrumed on the block, so as to operate the disk when more power is required than can be attainedby the use of the thumb or finger. In Fig. 9 of the drawings I have shown a portion of the screw-bolt and a modification in the construction of the disk G which consists in formingin its periphery a number of openings 7' for reception of a lever pin or rod employed to turn the same.

In practice the clamps are arranged at suitable intervals around all four sides of the bedblock B, with their inner ends or abutting heads bearing squarely against the same and supporting the inner marginal portions (1 of the printing-plates D and their outer ends bearing against the furniture K, and are held in such position by means of quoins k, interposed between the furniture and perimeter of the chase A. The outer marginal edges of the printing-plates rest upon the side walls 6 of the blocks and upper supporting-faces f of the travelers E, and'are thereby sustained and prevented from bending or breaking under pressure while printing, and the plates are clamped and held firmly down upon the bed-blocks by means of the hooks f, which engage the beveled lips 01 thereof. When it is desired to adjust a printing-plate, the same may be moved in either direction by turning the operating-disks on the screws, which latter control the travelers E, which operation may be effected by means of the thumb or finger resting on the upper part of the disk or by means of a rod or pin inserted in the slots or openings of the disks or through the medium of a rod or toothed lever engaging the teeth of the disk shown in Fig. 6 when such construction of disk is employed. In adjusting the plate in any determined direction it will of course be understood that the travelers in the blocks at one side are loosened up or retracted and the travelers in the blocks at the opposite side tightened or advanced, so as to slide the plate on the bed-block,and by arranging the blocks on all four sidesof the bed-block, which my construction permits me to do, the adjustment of the block in either direction maybe quickly and conveniently effected and great accuracyinsured. I preferably employ the slotted form of disk when the clamps are used in securing the plates for consecutive color-printing where the plates have to be fitted exactly in register, as the adjustment to a very fine fraction is under the perfect control of the operator, which is not the case when toothed disks operated by ratchet devices are employed.

The formation of the clamping-block with an abutting head or bridge-piecemhich serves as a bearing for one end of the screw and support for the marginal projecting portion of the printing-plate, is of great importance, as it prevents the traveler from tipping when screwed up tight and also permits of the clam p being brought to bear squarely against the bed-block,which is very desirable when a narrow margin is necessary between the plates, and, furthermore, avoids the objection of crowding and forcing the operating disk against the adjacent bed-block or lock-up furniture and injuring the same, while the arrangement of the disk to bear against the body of the clamping-block also provides a strong and durable construction. In the ordinary forms of adjusting-blocks a thin plate is commonly placed at the outer edge of the block to keep the screw and disk intact; but it is not of much value on account of it be in g necessarily thin to work narrow margins and bends outward under the pressure of the screw-head. This is especially the case when wood furniture is used to make up the form with. The tapered head of the screw in my construction, fitted in its bearing, affords efficient means for obtaining the required friction to keep the same from working loose while the plate is being printed without the usual required force necessary in other devices, which has the tendency of springing the plates upward from the blocks. The base-bearing e for the traveler in addition to supporting the traveler and preventing the, same and the screw from bending down under the pressure from the printingplate permits of the hook being made of the same width as the block, so that it will not project laterally, as is customary, and indent the upper face of the clamp. This construction also prevents squeezing of the parts of the block together and binding of the traveler when the form is locked up by the quoins. By mounting the disk and screw in the manner stated also the parts of the clamp may be quickly disassembled for cleaning when the threads of the screw and traveler are clogged with ink and varnish.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. The combination of a chase, a bed-block, a printing-plate resting on the block and of greater dimensions than said block to provide marginal portions projecting beyond the sides thereof, and clamping-blocks locked in the chase with the bed-block and provided with travelers engaging the marginal portion of the plate, the travelers of the clamping-blocks being independently adjustable, whereby the plate is slidably mounted and may be adj usted in either direction on the bed-block without releasing or removing the lock-up devices.

2. A clamp for adjustably securing a printin g-plate to its bed-block, comprising a block having a recess, a traveler sliding in said re-' cess and having its upper surface level with the block, a lower bearing for supporting the same, an adjusting screw passing through said traveler and having an abutting head and a bearing at its inner end, and a Wheel or disk at the outer end of the screw for turning the same.

A clamp for adjustably securing a printing-plate to its bed-block, comprising a block having a recess, a traveler sliding in said recess and having its upper surface level with the block to form a supporting-face and provided at the outer end thereof with a hook or engaging device, and means for adjusting said traveler.

4. A clamp for adj ustably securing a printing-plate to its bed-block, comprising a block having a recess with a bearing, a traveler sliding in said recess on said bearing and having its upper surface level with the block -to form a supporting-face provided with an engaging device at its outer end, and means for adjusting the block.

5. A clamp for adjustablysecuring a printing-plate to its bed-block, comprising a block having a recess with a bridge-piece at its inner end and a base-bearing, a traveler sliding in said recess with its lower surface resting on said bearing, and a screw for adjusting the traveler, said screw being removably mounted at its inner end in the bridge-piece and provided with a detachable operating device at its outer end.

6. A clamp for adj ustably securing a printing-plate to its bed-block, comprising a block, a traveler having a broad upper supportingface extending to near'its outer end and provided at said outer end with a hook, and means for adjusting the traveler.

7. A clamp for adjustably securing a printing-plate to its bed-block, comprising a block having a recess opening through the top and outer side thereof and forming parallel side walls, a base-support, and a bridge-piece connecting said side walls at the inner end of the block, a traveler-block sliding in the recess and guided by said side walls and adapted to abut against said bridge-piece, said traveler resting on the base-support and having its upper surface level with the upper surface of the block and provided with a hook, a screw passing through the block and mounted at one end in said bridge-piece, and an operating device on the outer end of the screw.

8. A clamp for adj ustably securing a printing-plate to its bed-block, comprising a re- ICC cessed block having a closed wall or bridgepiece at its inner end, a traveler sliding in the recess, an adjusting-screw passing through the traveler and provided at its outer end with a rectangular portion and at its inner end with a head havinga bearing in the bridgepiece, said screw being withdrawable through the bridge-piece, and an operating Wheel or disk having a rectangular opening to receive the rectangular end of the screw, whereby it is reinovably fitted thereon.

9. A clamp for adjustably securing a printing-plate to its bed-block, comprising a block, a traveler slidably mounted therein, a screw for adjusting the traveler, and an operating wheel or disk on the screw provided in its outer face with radial grooves or slots, said slots opening at their outer ends through the periphery of the disk and being in communi cation at their inner ends across the intermediate central portion of the disk.

10. A clamp for adjustably securing a printing-plate to its bed-block, comprisingablock having a recess with a closed inner wall or bridge-piece, a traveler mounted in the recess and guided by said side walls and supported by the block, an adjusting screw passing through the traveler and having a head and its adjacentshank portion fitted in the bridgepiece which forms a bearing therefor, said screw being withdrawable through the bridgepiece, and an operating wheel or disk removably fitted upon the outer end of the screw.

SAMUEL E. DITTMAN. 

